Thousands of refugees in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp clashed with the police this week after it was announced that their food rations would be cut by 40% due to funding issues. The UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, confirmed that four refugees and a local government official were injured when the police intervened to stop the protesters. Those living in the camp, which houses 300,000 refugees primarily from South Sudan and other countries, had received a message from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) about the reduced rations. Aid budgets have been under strain for several years, and the situation has worsened due to President Donald Trump freezing US aid spending, which contributed over half of WFP’s $9.7bn funding in 2024. Protesters in the camp called for more food, carrying empty cooking pots and signs questioning the sufficiency of their food supply. The cuts have severely impacted the diet of refugees, who have also faced reduced water supplies, cash support payment slashes, and the requirement to pay for their children’s school fees. The UNHCR expressed concern about the impact of the cuts and the injuries sustained during the protests, without confirming the use of live rounds. Kenyan civil society organizations and government officials also expressed concerns about the impact of these cuts on the country’s ability to host refugees and asylum seekers, urging developed countries to provide financial support.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/mar/05/refugees-clashes-police-kakuma-camp-kenya-protests-cuts-wfp-unhcr-food-aid-us-freeze